BJP hands over Delhi’s reins to Manoj Tiwari
NEW DELHI: Ahead of a crucial municipal election in Delhi, Bhojpuri actor-turned-politician Manoj Tiwari took charge of the BJP’S state unit on Wednesday.
Tiwari, BJP MP from Northeast Delhi, represents the Purvanchali community — migrants from Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh — which make up about 25 per cent of the electorate in Delhi. The community has a decisive vote in 20-25 assembly seats and almost 80 municipal wards. Party insiders say that Tiwari will help BJP win over the community’s confidence, improving its poll prospects.
Tiwari replaces Satish Upadhyay, a councillor from Malviya Nagar. Upadhyay was appointed at the head of the party unit in July 2014. Under his tenure, the party lost miserably in 2015 assembly elections and sources said he has failed to bring various factions in the party together. Sources also said that eyebrows had been raised at the time of his appointment since Upadhyay was ‘superseding’ party’s Delhi giants such as Vijay Goel.
One of the critical challenges for Tiwari would be to bring the various groups in the party together. The municipal polls are crucial for the party since it rules all the three corporations and consequently faces anti-incumbency. The sanitation crisis and the poor financial and administrative health of the corporations only adds to the enormity of the task ahead for Tiwari.
With the ruling Aam Aadm Party (AAP) — which has 11 MLAS from the Purvancha region — breathing down BJP’S neck, Tiwari’s charisma among the migrant community could help the party meet the challenge. In the recent bypolls to 13 municipal wards, AAP won the maximum 5 seats, eating up the BJP’ voter base
A senior Delhi BJP leader however, said it is too early to say whether Tiwari’s sway over Purvanchali electorate will help the party regains its lost ground “Only time will answer this question,” he said.